Research progress in the mechanism of host defense peptides antagonizing viral infection

Abstract:

Host defense peptides are a class of small molecular peptides ubiquitous in vertebrates, with a broad spectrum of antimicrobial activities and immunomodulatory functions such as anti-inflammation, regulation of cell chemotaxis, promotion of angiogenesis, and repair of injury. The previous studies about host defense peptides mainly focused on the resistance against bacterial and fungal infections. The recent studies have demonstrated that host defense peptides have a wide range of antiviral activities and thus have potential application prospects in the prevention and treatment of viral diseases. This paper reviews the molecular mechanisms of host defense peptides against viral infections, which include direct killing of viruses, regulation of viral infection, and participation in host immune regulation against viral infections, which will provide a reference for the research on host defense peptides against viral infections and the development of host defense peptides as new antiviral biological agents.